Manifolding register



June 13, 1939 wA G. BoRcHERs MANIFOLDING REGISTER R o T N. m E V m m .m 1 a Y W .u B l l m W l L@ m s N m N L. w uw M ww R N mw E Sw Y wn N Y www. Q 5 n v mm. Nm m m xm. mm Y ems# Q Mm a um d 1 Nh e a xm, m m m flu M s mm gm M e .f. mm. QM. E 7 l 0 .A v

s w m.

Patented June 13, 1939 STATES PATENT FFICE Autographic Register Company, Hoboken,

N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 5, 1937, Serial No. 129,216

19 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding machines, and more particularly to the type of machine adapted to retain therein a record strip carrying copies of the transactions written on ,-5 the machine. In machines of the kind referred to, immediately in advance of a supply compartment for holding a zigzag folded pack `of Work strips, there is provided a strip-advancing means for feeding the strips at form-length intervals thereby to advance the overlying strips to a tear-off point. These overlying or issue strips are discharged at this point, for distribution of their severed form-lengths as desired, but the lowermost strip, constituting a record strip to be retained in the machine, is guided to a storage compartment beyond the feeding means.

The present invention is particularly concerned with the control of the record strip in the storage compartment to assist the record strip in refolding therein, so that it will lie in a zigzag folded pile with folds as in said pack, for removal when desired, as through a door or cover giving access to the storage compartment.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of a refolding means which coacts in a simple and efficient way with the tendency of the zigzag folded record strip to reassume the folds it had in the supply pack as this strip is guided to drop in the storage compartment.

Various types of refolding means intended thus to coact have heretofore been proposed. These, however, have included such expedients as shifter-arms for attempting to guide a formlength during its drop toward the top of the pile in the storage compartment, rotatable stripseizing devices for thus attempting to guide the record strip, and other arrangements interfering with the absolutely free drop of each formlength to the top of the pile after clearing the strip-advancing meansfi The fact is, however, that if the record strip form-lengths are allowed such freedom of drop in the storage compartment, the strip will refOld of its own accord and continue to do so for some little time. Only after the refolded pile has attained a certain height, but one usually much less than the maximum permitted by the ordinary storage compartment, is there a tendency for the record strip to accumulate in the storage compartment as a confused and unwieldy mass, likely to attain a bulk to interfere with further operation of the machine.

In carrying out the present invention, therefore, there is provided a refolding means which delivers a refolding blow toward the top of the pile at and above a prevised height thereof, this blow being applied in a direction across the top of the pile and toward a folded end thereof, incidental to the guidance of a form-length into the storage compartment, and while that length is dropping freely and naturally from the feed disks. As the invention is preferably carried out, the refolding blow is so delivered, also, as to be applied to a point intermediate the folded ends of the pile, and the blow, at the same time, is so delivered that it acts to strike down on the proper strip.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means for thus delivering a refolding blow, and for delivering such blow always toward the same end of the pile, and during the drop of each successive form-length onto the top of the pile, regardless of whether that form-length is connected by a fold line to one end or the other of the pile. In other words, the refolding blow is delivered incidental to each strip ad vancemeiit, instead of at every other strip advancement. With the present invention, then, there is no necessity of insuring, as in the prior arrangements mentioned, such a relation between the cycle of operation of the refolding device and the manner of engagement of the work strips by the strip-advancing means, on each setup of a supply pack in the machine, as will predetermine that the refolding device will act only when a form-length of the record strip, as it is guided into the storage compartment, has a particular one of two different fold relations with the pile in the storage compartment.

As the invention is also preferably carried out, a striker is provided for delivering a refoldassis-ting blow during travel `of the striker through a circular path, and the striker makes a complete circuit of said path during each stripadvancing revolution of a rotary strip-advancing means, so that the striker will deliver its blow once during each strip advancement. Most conveniently, the striker is carried by an underlying feeding disk of a broadly familiar form of stripadvancing mechanism.

The striker is preferably pivotally mounted on carrying disk and is spring urged to protrusion therefrom to blow-delivering position, and means are provided for holding the striker retracted to maintain the same out of contact with a form-length during its drop to the refolded pile, with the spring under tension. Ac cording to this arrangement, the striker is repositioned for blow delivery only when over the refolded pile, and is thus repositioned by release of the spring tension. This causes the striker to be snapped into a fast refolding blow while yieldably urged toward a maximum intensity of blow.

The refold-assisting means of the present invention has particular and special utility when, for one reason or another, the record strip does not have its usual tendency to refold on itself. When this happens, the strip is upwardly bulged in the storage compartment, and the striker of the present invention is designed to hit the top of this bulged portion and give the strip a downward impetus to refold on itself as in. the original pack.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one form of the invention, that at present preferred:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken approximately on the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal section, taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with certain parts above the line 2 2 shown, and with some of these broken away to reveal underlying parts.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view, being a transverse vertical section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 shows in perspective and on an enlarged scale, a pair of strikers employed in the illustrated form of the invention, one to be carried by each of two feed disks, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

In the exemplifying form of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the manifolding machine is shown as comprising a box-like casing including a bottom wall I0, a front end wall II, a rear end wall I2, and side walls I3 and I4, respectively. The strip-feeding mechanism, indicated generally at M, divides the interior of the casing into two compartments, one of which is a rear or supply compartment I5 for a zigzag folded pack I6 of work strips I'I. The other compartment is a front storage compartment I8 for receiving the record strip to be preserved in the machine. In order to simplify the drawing, the overlying or issue strips are separately shown in Fig. l only beyond the bite B of the feeding mechanism M, that is, at I'Ia. In the present case, it is assumed, as will be noted, that there are three of these issue sheets. The lowermost strip to be stored in the compartment I8, constituting the record strip aforesaid, is also separately shown at I'Ib where led into the storage compartment I3 so as to become refolded into a pile I9.

In order to locate the pack I6 properly within the supply compartment I5, and also to assist in locating the pile in the storage compartment I8, there are provided a pair of L-shaped partitions or gauge plates 20 having flanges 20 by which they are secured to the bottom wall I8. The upper edges of these partitions serve as supports for a platen 2I. At its forward end the platen is hinged by pins 22a. to the front ends of a pair of links 22 secured at their rear ends to a rocker-rod 23 journaled in vertical bearing plates 24 within the casing at opposite sides thereof. The rear portion of the platen has an integral curl 2 Ia at the front edge of a transverse strip-receiving opening 2lb in the platen. At the opposite ends of this opening are integral depending ears 2Ic which rotatably support a roller 25 over which the strips I'I are guided for delivery through the opening 2lb and around the curl 2Ia to passage over the platen toward the front end of the machine. As will be understood, carbon or transfer strips or sheets (not shown) may be employed, in any of the ways known in the art or suitable, to allow manifolding relative to the various strips I'I of the pack I6 while a set of form-lengths of these strips are properly at rest on the platen. These formlengths are shown as marked off by weakened lines 25, which in the present case are the lines along which the strips are zigzag folded in forming the pack I6.

Disposed above the platen 2I is a margin frame 21 having a writing opening 28 and provided at its rear end with hinge plates 29, the complementary hinge plates 30 being secured to the rear wall 20 of the casing. Near its front end the margin frame 2'I is adapted to rest normally on a pair of pins 3I projecting upwardly from the platen, and it also carries a housing 32 then adapted to entirely enclose a presser roller 33 which forms an element of the strip-feeding mechanism M. 'Ihe housing 32 also covers upper reduced extensions 24a. of the side plates 24, which extensions are slotted vertically to receive the ends of thel roller 33.

When the plate 2I is in normal or writing position as shown in Fig. 1, its front edge projects partly over the feeding mechanism M.

This mechanism comprises a crank shaft 35 journaled in the side plates 24 and provided beyond one side of the casing with a manually operable crank a portion of which is indicated at 36. This shaft as here shown carries a disk 3'I having thereon a feeding shoe 31a.. The same shaft also carries a pair of feeding disks 38. The shoe 31a and the disks 38 cooperate with the presser roller 33 in feeding the strips a formlength over the platen on each revolution of the shaft 35. Halting of strip advance and formlength registration of the strips, are effected, as is well known in the art, when strip-arresting formregistering apertures in the strips enter the bite between the presser roller and the disks 38, and then, after such registration, the shoe 31a cornes into action, in cooperation with the presser roller 33, to advance the strips sufficiently to restore solid portions thereof to the bite between the disks 38 and the presser roller 33. As here shown, the disk 31 carrying the shoe is set on the shaft 35 so that, after the restoration of the strip to feeding action by the disks 38, these disks will further advance the strips during the movement of crank 36 in completing a strip-advancing revolution. This arrangement is preferred, because it allows the apertures in the strips to be located, as here shown, at the weakened or fold lines 26. In the present case, these apertures, also, are in the form of marginal notches 39, a pair of the same for each form-length. Use of notches at the lines 2B, with the notches shaped as shown to have one boundary of each coincide with the line 26, facilitates natural refolding of the record strips I 'Ib into the pile I9. Also, with the apertures marginal to the strips, as are the notches 39, the disks 38 may be located close to the opposite long edges of the strips, and this is advantageous in connection with the operation of the refolding means of the invention, as will be understood when the illustrated embodiment of said means is hereinafter explained.

Over the storage compartment I8 is a cover plate 40 hinged at 4I to the front Wall end II of the casing. A deflector 42 extends across the machine, and as here shown the saine is formed as a part of the end of the plate 40 adjacent to the housing 42. This deflector plate is downwardly laterally bent, so as to bring its free edge close to the line of bite between the disks 38 and presser roller 33, for discharging the issue strips lla out of the machine during a strip-advancing operation and for guiding the record strip I'Ib down into the storage compartment I8. At the conclusion of each strip advancement, the lled in form-lengths are severed manually from their strips I'Ia, by tearing them along a knife edge 32a at the top of an issue opening in the housing 32, in accordance with familiar practice. As is also well known in the art, the lower part of the deilector 42 may be cut away above the disks 3l and 38 to avoid contact therewith.

At the front end of the storage compartment IB, a transverse plate 43 is secured in place to the bottom wall IB of the casing, for positioning the front end of the pile 19 as such pile is built up of refolded form-lengths of the record strip. The opposite end of the pile I9 builds up against a positioning device comprising vertical wing-por- CIL tions 23a at the front ends of the gauge plates 20.

Referring now to the refolding means of the present invention, as the same is shown embodied in a manifolding machine of the kind above described, this means includes a pair of strikers each pivotally mounted at 44 on one of the feeding disks 38 for travel therewith. As seen best in Figs. 3 and 4, each of these strikers is substantially L-shaped, having a horizontal extension with a rounded bottom constituting a striker-bar 43a, extended over a considerable part of the width of the pile I9 near a side edge of the pile. With the parts arranged as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the strikers 43 are positioned on the disks 38 to project the striker-bars 43a well below the bottom peripheries of the disks. A wire spring 45, coiled about the pivot 44 of each striker 43 and having its opposite ends engaging, respectively, a hub portion 33a of the appropriate disk 38, and a pin 4S on the striker, always yieldingly urges the striker toward full projection of its striker-bar 43a as shown in Fig. 1. In order to limit the projection of the striker to that shown, its disk 38 carries a pin 41. By virtue of this arrangement, the striker can yield for retraction on the feed disk, in the direction of the arrow 48, but not in the opposite direction.

During each strip-advancing revolution of the shaft 35, in the direction of the arrow 49, the striker-bars 53a are swung to deliver a refolding blow which is directed not only depthwise of the pile i3, but also over the top of the pile and toward the end I3 thereof, regardless of whether the form-length then being added to the pile connects by fold line with one or the other end of the pile. As will be understood, this blow is directed toward a form-length as it is being laid on the pile, when that form-length is connected to the pile by a fold line at the end I9 of the pile, and is directed again toward the form-length last-mentioned during laying of the next form-length on the pile. In other words, while a form-length is being laid on the pile as shown in full lines at IIb, and while every other one of the subsequently dropped form-lengths are thus laid on the pile, the refolding blow is directed toward that form-length; but during laying of each alternate form-length on the pile, as indicated at I'Ibi, the blow is directed toward the form-length just previously laid on the Pile.

I have found that this way of applying refolding blows to the record strip insures dependable refolding of the same and consequent proper establishment of the refolded pile I9, once the latter has naturally reached a certain height, and one such that thereafter fouling of subsequently dropped form-lengths of the record strip may be expected to cause trouble. Even if the strip fails to refold properly before the pile I9 reaches the height last-mentioned, that contingency will be taken care of. Whatever the height of the pile, should the strip Ilb, during its drop as shown in full lines, in Fig. 1, fail to refold on itself properly, the strip will bulge upwardly and the striker will hit the top of this bulged portion and give the strip a downward impetus to refold on itself at the end I9' of the pile I9. If refolding at the end I9 of the pile is taken care of, refolding at the opposite end of the pile will take care of itself.

It will be noted that a glancing orsweeping blow is always directed toward and along the top of the refolded pile I9, and toward the fold line at the end I9 of the pile.

Due to the spring 45, this blow is delivered by yielding thrust, and adapts itself to various heights and conditions of the pile I9.

I have further found that best results are apparently obtained when this blow is a snappy one, and to obtain this action, means are provided for retracting each striker 43 to tension its spring 45, preparatory to the delivery of a refolding blow, so that sudden release of the spring tension accompanies this blow and intensies the same. Also, it is desirable to redispose each striker 43 on its disk 48, after the delivery of a refolding blow, and to maintain the striker thus redisposed until the next blow is to be delivered, so that the striker is not projected beyond the feeding periphery of the disk 38 during a considerable part of the feed of a .form-length, and

so will not interfere with the best possible natural and free drop of that formelength into the storage compartment I8 from the disks 38.

To these ends, the refolding means shown includes a pair of xed guide plates or tracks 50, ,5

secured at 5I to the end of a cross bar 52, where the latter is attached to the wing-portions 20a of the gauge plates 23. Each of these tracks 50 has a long terminal portion circularly curved in agreement with, but located slightly within, the periphery of the feed disk 38 with which the track is associated, and a ramp portion 55a. connects such curved portion of the track and the point of attachment of the track. As shown best in Fig. 3, each track 53 is alongside the inner face of a disk 33, and in the plane of travel of the striker 43 on that disk.

When, after delivering a refolding blow, a striker 43 approaches the ramp portion 53a of its track 50 during a strip-advancing revolution of the shaft 35, the striker is swung on its pivot 44 in the direction of the arrow 48 in Fig. l. As the shaft 35 continues to revolve, the striker is rst partially retracted, as shown in dot-anddash lines in Fig. 1, and then, as the striker bar 43a leaves the ramp portion 5tar and enters the main circularly curved portion of the track, the striker is fully retracted, so that lno part of the same projects beyond the periphery of the disk 33. The striker is thus maintained, with its spring n 45 at maximum tension, until, during the next strip-advancing revolution of the shaft 35, the striker is carried sufficiently beyond the free end of the circularly curved portion of the track to allow return of the striker to the position .W6

shown in full lines inFig. 1.

As the parts are shown, this freeing of the striker from confinement by the track 50 occurs at the instant the refolding blow is to be delivered. At this time, as will be understood, the disk 38 is in course of rotation in the direction of the arrow 49. Thus the refolding blow is a sharply delivered one, partly as a result of the rotation of the disk 38, but chiefly as a result of the snap-out action of the spring 45.

Variations and modifications may be made vWithin the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips formlengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; and means carried by said advancing means including an element having potential energy stored therein and releasable for delivering a refolding blow to a formlength of the record strip thereby to cooperate with said guiding means in establishing the pile.

2. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips formlengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; and means carried by said advancing means operable when released from a retracted position to deliver a refolding blow to a form-length of the record strip after drop by said form-length to the top of the pile.

3. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips formlengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; and means carried by said advancing means for cooperating with the fold lines in the record strip in establishing the pile, the means last-mentioned including a striker and operating means for storing energy in said striker to cause the same when moved into operative relation with the pile to deliver a refolding blow to a form-length at the top of the pile before said form-length has been fully laid on the top of the pile.

4. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips formlengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; and refolding means carried by said advancing means comprising a retractable element which is releasable to operate in timed relation with said advancing means to give a refolding blow to the top of the pile, said refolding means being so timed that one of said blows is given to the pile as each form-length is added thereto regardless of whether that form-length connects by fold line with one end or the other of the pile.

5. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips formlengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; and refolding means carried by said advancing means including a striker and actuating means for the latter comprising a resilient means associated with the striker and adapted to be tensioned to cause it to deliver a refolding blow to the top of the pile and at a point intermediate the ends of the pile incidental to the dropping of each form-length on the top of the pile.

6. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips formlengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; and refolding means carried by said advancing means including a striker and actuating means for the latter comprising a spring connected to the striker, means for moving the striker to tension the spring and means for releasing the striker to cause it to deliver a refolding blow to the top of the pile and at a point intermediate the ends of the pile and always directed toward one end of the pile, said actuating means causing the striker to deliver a blow as aforesaid incidental to the dropping of each form-length on the top of the pile regardless of whether that form-length connects by fold line with one end or the other of the pile.

7. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips formlengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; and refolding means including a wiper and resilient means for sweeping said wiper longitudinally of the record strip and in a direction along the top of the pile.

8. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips formlengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; a refolder carried by said advancing means; and means for causing said refolder to periodically strike a glancing blow against the record strip, said means including an energy storing means carried by said advancing means and energized by movement of the same.

9. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over whichat least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips form-lengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; a striker carried by said advancing means; and means including a resilient means for periodically actuating the striker whereby it will sweep along the top of the pile and toward a folded end thereof, said lastnamed means carried by said advancing means and made operative by movementl ofthe same.

10. A machine as in claim 9, in which the means last-mentioned. includes a mount movable toward the top of the pile and carrying said striker, the striker being movable on said mount and there being means for yieldingly resisting movement ofthe striker on the mount.

11. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips form-lengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; a striker; a rotary carrier on which the striker is pivotally mounted; and means for periodically rotating said carrier but always in the same direction thereby to cause the striker to deliver a refolding blow directed toward the top of the pile on each revolution of said carrier with such blow always delivered in the same direction.

' 12. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips formlengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; a striker; a rotary carrier on which the striker is pivotally mounted; means for periodically rotating said carrier but always in the same direction thereby to cause the striker to deliver a refolding blow directed toward the top of the pile on each revolution of the carrier with such blow always delivered in the same direction; and means -for restraining the striker against rocking movement in one direction on the carrier.

13. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips form-lengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; a striker; a rotary carrier on which the striker is pivotally mounted; means for periodically rotating said carrier but always in the same direction thereby to cause the striker to deliver a refolding blow directed toward the top of the pile on each revolution of the carrier with such blow always delivered in the same direction; means for restraining the striker against rocking movement in one direction on the carrier; and means for yieldingly urging the striker toward rocking movement in the opposite direction.

14. A machine as in claim 11, in which the striker is vmovably mounted on the carrier.

l5. A machine` as in claim 11, in which the striker is movably mounted on the carrier, and there is means for limiting the movement of the striker on the carrier.

16. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips and including a rotary part performing a full revolution during each operation of the advancing means to feed said strips a form-length over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; and a refolding device in the storage compartment, said device including a rotary carrier revolved with said rotary part and a striker on said carrier in position to deliver a refolding blow directed toward the top of said pile.

17. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips and including a rotary part performing a full revolution during each operation of the advancing means to feed said strips a form-length over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; and a refolder revoluble with said rotary part for delivering, incidental to each revolution of said rotary part, a refolding blow delivered toward the top of said pile and toward a folded end thereof.

18. In a manifolding machine, a casing having a supply compartment, a storage compartment and a platen over which at least one issue strip and a record strip are led from a zigzag folded pack; means for advancing said strips formlengths over the platen; means for guiding the record strip to enter the storage compartment for refolding into a zigzag folded pile with the folds thereof as in said pack; and means for delivering a refolding blow to a form-length of the record strip and across the top of said pile, the means last-mentioned including a movable carrier, a striker on the carrier, the carrier being movable to advance the striker toward the pile and the striker being movable on the carrier, and means for varying the position of the striker on the carrier as the carrier moves the striker toward Vthe pile and to again vary the position of the striker on the carrier following delivery of said blow.

19. A machine as in claim 18, in which said carrier is revoluble about an axis located above the pile, the striker is pivotedfon the carrier, and said varying means includes a fixed structure having a striker-engaging surface above said axis for holding the striker retracted and for releasing the striker from such hold as the striker is moved with the carrier to approach the pile, there being means for snapping the striker to its refolding blow when thus released.

WILLIAM G. BORCI-IERS. 

